


Let It Sink Back Into the Ocean

by AsakaSama



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-08-13
Packaged: 2018-08-08 11:15:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7755607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsakaSama/pseuds/AsakaSama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry has had enough of this place. What has England ever done for him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let It Sink Back Into the Ocean

"It wasn't a very remarkable day, really. Ordinary. I had just finished tending the prize rosebushes outside and it was just past dinner. I was there in my lumpy, horrible bed behind a padlocked door listening to the Dursley snickering about how I hadn't been allowed to eat the dinner I had cooked and I just thought- _why_?"

 

Harry paused to push his glasses - Spellotaped of course, no one had ever taken an interest in his attire- up his nose and take a fortifying breath. He'd need the calm to get through this; to voice the things that needed to finally be said.

 

"Why do I even bother? Why do I bother with school when I spend more time getting detentions for fighting or fending off racism against one of my best friend? Why do I bother protecting artifacts nobody explains the significance of? Why do I do any of the things that I do? Because it needs doing, I guess. Because it's unfair to someone I barely know who doesn't deserve it. But... I've nearly died so many times I can barely keep count, and I'm only a teenager. Isn't that unfair to  _me_?"

 

Harry paused to lift his head and roll his shoulders, enjoying the silence and the breeze rustling his messy hair. The weather was gorgeous; a rare beautiful summer day in London. Perfect for what he had come to say.

 

"Anyone I try to help turns against me, in the end. I always live to regret it. Tell a teacher their mortal enemy is wandering the school, get ignored, end up burning a man to death. Spend an entire year being bullied, accused, torn down and get bitten through the arm by a starving Basilisks. Learning the truth means nothing up against politics. And Sirius..."

 

Harry takes a shuddering breath, swallows and says shakily "I didn't get enough time with him. Another sacrifice and for what? A couple sentences the adults in charge have known for a decade and never bothered to tell me. It all could have been avoided. Why did I even bother? Why did I think anything would be better, or change? Nobody would have bothered if it were the other way around. Nobody comes to save me, even though I need saving. Or at least, help!"

 

"And that's why I'm leaving."

 

"Leaving!" Rita Skeeter gasped, along with the rest of the suddenly murmuring crowd in the square at Diagon Alley. She lept to her feet, giant purse nearly knocking a reporter from _Witch Weekly_ off her chair."You can't leave Harry, you're just a school boy, and a minor! How..." she trailed off, losing momentum as her eyes locked with Harry's poisonous green glare.

 

"I asked that you all remain completely, utterly silent. You agreed in order to be here. You can sit, or leave." Harry said firmly, squaring his shoulders.

 

Rita tossed her golden curls and sank grudgingly back into her seat, long peacock quill twitching irritably. 

 

Harry waited until the rest of the attendants of the press release settled and let the silence stretch on interminably. Just as the tension came to a breaking point he said abruptly "That day in my bed, hungry and feeling horrible with nothing but letters from my friends for company, I realized I hate you."

 

Shock rippled through the crowd, evident in raised eyebrows and shared glances of surprise. A woman covered her mouth while her family held their shopping to their chests, horrified at the sudden blunt pronouncement.  

 

The smile Harry showed to the crowd could barely be called that, and he lifted his eyes to the heavens as though he could barely look upon the wizards and witches of London. "I hate that you hurt me and my few remaining loved ones. I hate that you ignore me when you have no use for me, and then pretend it's your due when I help you. I hate that I try to help you and you call me a liar. I hate that I bleed, toil and nearly die for you and you couldn't care less a week later." Harry took a deep breath, the stared directly into the crowd. The silence stretched out again, then suddenly-

 

"Voldemort isn't dead."

 

Loud exclamations now, at the name, at the shocking announcement on this gorgeous morning, at the horror of the dark certainty in Harry's voice.

 

"I'm the only one who could tell you what happened that night. I never will. I don't care enough to bother. To the ones who have never harmed me, run. Flee this place. It's a hell hole, and Magical Britain has nobody but itself to blame. To the ones who let me rot at the Dursleys, to the ones who let me fight Voldemort before I knew how to shave, to the ones who let the public run over me with nor regard for my well being...To hell with each and every one of you. I am leaving, and I am never coming back to this wretched island!"

 

Harry Potter raised his holly wand, and what a picture he made there on the podium above a hundred stunned onlookers with the sun glinting off his packed luggage handles and the billowing through his ragged muggle clothes. "No-" croaked Dumbledore, reaching one shaking hand toward the stage as he stood. "Please my boy-let us sit and have a discussion. I recognize my faults with you now, and I am fully prepared to make amends. The protections-"

 

"I have my own protections, Professor," Harry said coldly as Hermione and Ron silently climbed the stage to place on hand on either of his shoulders, staring soberly at the increasingly agitated crowd. From below they could hear "Not dead?" and "Liar! Died years ago-" and the occasional panicked sob. 

 

"I hate this place," Harry said tightening his grip on his wand. "Let Voldemort have it. Let him run you further into the ground, if you people can go any deeper."

 

Harry exchanged glances with Ron and Hermione and they nodded, resolute. He gathered their luggage at his feet and tapped his wand on the carved wooden raven he pulled from his pocket to activate the pre-programmed Portkey.

 

"Let this wretched place sink back into the ocean, and take them all with it." he whispered, letting the swirling Portkey take them away from the panicking mob, Dumbledore's entreaties and the increasing feelings of hopelessness coming over the pretty cobblestoned square. 

**Author's Note:**

> This hit me at 11:30 at night and just had to be written.


End file.
